Friday, May 08, 2015

The Yazmanian Devil and an unknown accomplice abscond with the belt after leaving the Brewers a bloody mess in the ring.

The Dodgers just survived their stiffest challenge of their title reign, barely escaping a match with the Brewers. The champs had the advantage going in, only needing to win two out of four against a group of lowly jobbers. Yet, they quickly found themselves at a 2-1 disadvantage, because, as wrestling fans know, sometimes jobbers can surprise you.

With their backs against the wall, the Dodgers savagely beat the Brewers into submission. The Dodgers, in particular "The Yazmanian Devil" Yasmani Grandal, refused to let up when the Brewers were in the ropes, so the ref had no choice but to disqualify them. And, since the title cannot change hands on a disqualification (in this case, a split of a 4-game series), the Dodgers are still Baseball World Heavyweight Champion.

The BWHT imagines the World Series Championship as a pro wrestling belt defended in regular season series. The defending World Series champions start the season with the belt. From there:

1. A team must win a series from the champion to take the belt. One game isn't going to cut it, considering it's a 162-game season and teams all view the season in terms of series.

2. If the belt-holder splits a series (two- or four-game series), it retains. Much like on a draw in boxing or a count-out situation in pro wrestling, you don't get the belt unless you actually beat the champion. A tie isn't good enough.

3. If, at the end of the regular season, the belt-holder does not make the playoffs -- and due to the dynamics of this thing, that scenario is entirely plausible -- said team will be stripped of the title for not qualifying for the postseason. Then the winner of the playoffs -- the World Series -- takes the belt and the title into the offseason.

4. Rainout Provision: If a game is rained out and rescheduled for later in the season (not a doubleheader in the same series), the series will be considered shortened to the number of actual scheduled games played. For example, if one game of a four-game series is rained out, that series becomes a three-game series for the purposes of tracking the championship. Furthermore, if one of the two teams is champion if/when the makeup game is played, that single game will be for the championship.

Let's take a look at the title history to date...

Current Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers

2015 BASEBALL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY

CHAMPION

WON FROM

REIGN LENGTH

SUCCESSFUL DEFENSES

1) San Francisco Giants

Kansas City Royals
(2014 World Series)

6 days*

1(vs. AZ)

2) San Diego Padres

San Francisco Giants
(4/12/15)

13 days

2(vs. CHC, COL)

3) Los Angeles Dodgers

San Diego Padres
(4/25/15)

14 days

3(vs. SFG, AZ, MIL)

The Dodgers are now the longest-reigning and most successful champions of 2015. They bring the belt to Colorado for a three-game series starting tonight. By all accounts, we will see the rainout rule above come into play. There are a lot of different scenarios, the most intriguing of which is if tonight's game is played and the other two are postponed. That will mean tonight's winner would be the champion. Stay tuned!

*Yeah, sorry, Giants. Only your days with the belt in the 2015 season count toward your reign.